COUNTRIES

Bolivia

Bolivia is a country in central South America, with a varied terrain spanning Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert and Amazon Basin Rainforest. One-third of the country is home to the Andes Mountains. Its capital, La Paz, sits on the Andes Altiplano Plateau with snow-capped Mt. Illimani in the background. Nearby is Lake Titicaca, the continent’s largest lake, which also straddles the border with Peru. Bolivia has enormous variety of organisms and ecosystems. Bolivia has gained global attention for its ‘Law of the Rights of Mother Earth’, which accords nature the same rights as humans.

COUNTRY FACTS:

Capital: La Paz

Population: 10,118,683

Language: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara

Bolivia is home to the most dangerous road in the world “The Road of Death.” Only about 9 percent of all roads are paved.

Our History in Bolivia

In 1978, Food for the Hungry (FH) began working in Bolivia providing humanitarian aid in the high plains between the Andes Mountains ridge assisting with effects of El Niño. Since then, FH has focused efforts on community development including livelihoods, health and education. Since Bolivia is vulnerable to natural disasters, much of FH’s work there has also been in emergency response and relief aid.

Key Challenges

Approximately two-thirds of the population lives on less than $2 a day | 23 percent of the population suffers from malnutrition | Bolivia is prone to flooding, mudslides, landslides and drought | Poor water and sanitation conditions plague the country